Which vessel carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs?

• A. Aorta
• B. Pulmonary Artery
• C. Vein
• D. Capillary

Answer: (B)

Blood destined to be oxygenated in the lungs is pumped from the right side of the heart into the pulmonary artery. This vessel carries deoxygenated blood away from the heart to the lungs for gas exchange, making it the correct selection. After picking up oxygen in the lungs, the blood returns to the heart through the pulmonary veins to enter the left atrium and move on to the systemic circulation. The other vessels have different roles: the aorta distributes oxygenated blood to the body; veins generally return blood toward the heart; capillaries are tiny vessels where exchange occurs between blood and tissues (including the lung’s gas exchange in the pulmonary capillaries).